FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu October 19, 2016 Yellowjacket women tabbed fourth in GNAC coaches’ poll MSUB Women’s Basketball on Facebook | MSUB Women’s Basketball Stack on ISSUU | GNAC Release 2016-17 MSUB Women’s Basketball Schedule | 2016-17 MSUB Women’s Basketball Roster
The 2016-17 MSUB women’s basketball team includes five juniors on its roster. The MSUB women’s basketball team has been tabbed fourth in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll after finishing last season as the GNAC tournament’s runner-up. PORTLAND, Ore. – When the MSUB women’s basketball team returns to the court to open their conference season, the Yellowjackets will carry a preseason Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaches’ poll ranking of fourth. After finishing third in the regular season last year and second at the conference tournament, MSUB returns four players who had starting roles to a team that finished with a 21-11 overall record and 15-5 in the GNAC. Earning the top spot in the poll, Western Washington collected six first-place votes, Simon Fraser was second (one first-place vote), and Alaska Anchorage third (four first-place votes). The top three teams were separated by just nine points as the coaches predict a tight-conference race for the highest GNAC spots. Senior Alisha Breen will helm the MSUB program’s prospects. The 5’10” forward was a unanimous first team all-GNAC selection last season and was named a preseason Super 16 All-American by the WDII Bulletin two weeks ago. The native of Choteau, Mont., led the league in points at 17.4 per game, including two games of 30 or more points and a 31-point performance during the NCAA tournament game at Azusa Pacific.
Juniors Rylee Kane and Marissa Van Atta and senior Tiana Hanson all performed starting roles last season for the ‘Jackets. Kane started every game and was No. 4 in the GNAC in assists with 4.5 per game. Van Atta was second on the team in steals with 52 while Hanson was second in the GNAC from the free-throw line shooting 71-for-82 for 86.6 percent. The Yellowjackets will need to replace rebounds and points from GNAC honorable mention honorees last season Janiel Olson and Monica Grimsrud. Olson finished her collegiate career as No. 1 all-time at MSUB in rebounds with 1,001. She is eighth in steals with 178. Grimsrud is 10th in career steals at 84 and last season contributed 10.1 points per game with 4.1 rebounds. “I am really looking forward to the upcoming season,” MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin said. “We have multiple returning players with experience and I think we have some solid new players too. I am not concerned with where we are ranked now, only where we are ranked at the end. I really enjoy coaching this team and believe we have great potential and can’t wait to get started. The GNAC is loaded again with great teams and the race for the GNAC championship should be an exciting one.” MSU Billings opens its season with an alumni game this Friday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. The exhibition contest is free and open to the public. MSU Billings then plays two exhibition games in Billings. On Oct. 31, MSUB heads across town to face Rocky Mountain College at 7 p.m., followed by a doubleheader night with the Yellowjackets men’s team against Montana Tech on Nov. 4. The women open the double billings against the Orediggers at 5:30 p.m., with the men’s teams taking to the court at 7:30 p.m. The Yellowjackets open their conference season on the road with contests against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Dec. 1, then travelling to Central Washington for a game on Saturday, Dec. 3. All of MSUB's regular season home contests and many away contests will feature live video and statistics, available through MSUB's Stretch Internet portal here. All-sport ticket packages, good for any MSUB sporting event are now available as well, in bundles of 10 for $45 and 25 for $100. To purchase all-sport ticket packages, contact MSUB Athletics at 406-657-2369. 2016-17 GNAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll Team (1st Place Votes) 2015 Record (Finish) 1. Western Washington (6) 20-9 (16-4, 2nd) 2. Simon Fraser (1) 16-11 (13-7, 4th) 3. Alaska Anchorage (4) 38-3 (18-2, 1st) 4. Montana State Billings 21-11 (15-5, 3rd) 5. Seattle Pacific 12-15 (9-11, 7th) 6. Northwest Nazarene 12-15 (10-10, Tie 5th) 7. Central Washington 17-12 (10-10, Tie 5th) 8. Concordia (Ore.) 4-16 (6-12, 10th) 9. Alaska 12-18 (7-13, 8th) 10. Saint Martin’s 7-20 (5-15, 9th) 11. Western Oregon 4-24 (3-17, 11th)
Pts. 112 105 103 84 79 61 58 45 39 22 18
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